Embedded Shelf On Exercise Equipment With Individual Gripping Members For Each Hand

ABSTRACT

Weight lifters have perpetually tried to find ways to improve their grip when performing heavier lifts. This invention discloses an embedded shelf that is securely fastened directly to the weight equipment. This embedded shelf allows a lifter to still perform heavy lifts without any safety concerns due to potential loss of grip. Another benefit of the embedded shelf is that it allows a lifter to quickly release the equipment if a safety concern arises. This shelf is directly fastened to weight equipment where a user grips individual discrete members with each hand when performing various exercises that rely on different mechanisms to provide resistance for the lifting exercise.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Weight lifters have been perpetually trying to find a way to improve their grip when performing heavier lifts. However, there are disadvantages to the ways lifters currently try to improve their grip. Some lifters strap their hands or wrists to the equipment, which could be a safety hazard as it makes it difficult for a lifter to quickly release the weight or machine in an emergency. The present invention is intended to address this problem by providing a shelf embedded within the exercise equipment itself. This allows for improved grip but also allows a user to quickly release the equipment because they are not connected to the equipment.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There is existing prior art that tries to give a lifter a variety of ways to grip exercise equipment. US 2003/0130096 by LaCroce allows multiple ways to grip a barbell, but this is fundamentally different because it requires multiple gripping members that are situated at different angles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shelf that is embedded within the structure of exercise equipment where separate members are gripped with each hand when performing a weight bearing exercise. The shelf is made of a sturdy material that is either fabricated as part of the exercise equipment or retroactively attached to existing exercise equipment. This embedded shelf will run along the length of the gripping area of the separate members to allow for users to vary their grip depending on what muscles they want to target. The embedded shelf will allow for improved grip and permits a user to work the targeted muscles to a greater extent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may take form in certain components and structures, preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exercise device that a user grips with a single hand where there is space at the end of the gripping member to attach plates to create the resistance for the weight bearing exercise. The user can grip identical individual members with each hand to exercise both arms.

FIG. 2 shows an exercise device that a user grips with a single hand where the user will exert force to raise a connected stack of weights. The user can grip identical individual members with each hand to raise the same stack of weights and exercise both arms.

FIG. 3 shows an exercise device that a user grips with a single hand where the user will exert force to raise a connected stack of weights. The user can grip identical individual members with each hand to raise the same stack of weights and exercise both arms. A similar gripping design can be used where a user will use their body weight as resistance.

FIG. 4 shows a close up of view of how the embedded shelf is situated on the gripping members. The gripping members may have different shapes, but the shelf is situated in a consistent way across all the gripping members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is carried out as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. A variety of exercise equipment works with a user gripping discrete members with each hand to perform a weight bearing exercise. These discrete gripping members can either be the weight bearing member itself, can be attached to a set of weights using a cable or rope, or can allow a user to use their body weight as resistance when performing an exercise.

FIG. 1 shows a piece of exercise equipment that uses gripping members for each hand where the gripping members also directly bear the weight that is lifted. Some examples where the single member is the weight bearing member are when a user is performing a bench press, a military press or a squat. The weight bearing member for these exercises is a cylindrical dumbbell with a gripping area that runs along the majority of the length of the dumbbell. There is one section on each end of the dumbbell that the user does not grip. These two sections are where weight plates are placed to provide the resistance for performing bench presses, military presses, squats and other exercises.

The cylindrical dumbbell that is used for these exercises are made up of a very sturdy material. A very sturdy material is critical because when performing a bench press, elite bodybuilders and power lifters may place over 125 lbs. on each end of the cylindrical dumbbell. Clearly, to withstand over a hundred lbs. on each end of a dumbbell, a sturdy material has to be used, or else the weights on each end could bend the cylindrical dumbbell. The material that is primarily used for these cylindrical dumbbells is some form of iron.

There are two standard types of dumbbells. One form allows a user to attach and detach weight plates to customize how much weight they want to lift. Another form has hexagonal weights permanently attached to the ends of the dumbbells. Either form can have the same gripping area in between the plates.

“Iron” is used to describe a variety of chemical compounds. All of these chemical compounds have substantial amounts of the element Fe/iron. The difference in the compounds is what other elements are present and in what amounts. Any of these iron compounds can be used for the cylindrical dumbbells, so long as they can handle the high weights that elite athletes may place on each end of the dumbbells.

FIG. 2 shows a piece of exercise equipment that uses individual gripping members where the individual gripping members are connected to a stack of weights that provides the resistance for weight bearing exercises. There are several different weight machines that allow a user to grip individual members with each hand. These various machines rely on two primary mechanisms. One mechanism allows the user to grip individual members that are essentially a grip that is overlaid over a pulley or cable that is attached to a stack of weights. This allows users to perform something similar to a “rowing exercise”. The grip that is overlaid is embedded with the grip enhancing shelf.

FIG. 3 shows another piece of exercise equipment that uses individual gripping members where the individual gripping members are connected to a stack of weights that provides the resistance for weight bearing exercises. Another mechanism allows the user to grip individual members that are padded with foam or rubber that are connected to another part of the structure, which could be described as a “connecting arm”. This “connecting arm” is then connected to a connecting member that is directly attached to a stack of weights. When the user exerts force on the individual members, it will raise the stack of weights. The individual gripping members and the “connecting arms” also need to be made of a sturdy material. A suitable sturdy material is metal. Iron is a preferable form of metal to be used for these parts as it is suitably strong, yet the cost is relatively cheap.

A structure with similar individual gripping members as those depicted in FIG. 3 can also be mounted directly to a support structure will allow a user to perform an exercise that uses their bodyweight as resistance. The grips can be covered with extra foam or rubber so that the user does not directly have to grip the iron part of the gripping member.

FIG. 4 shows how the embedded shelf 100 is situated on the various individual member grips. While the individual member grips may have slightly different shapes or thicknesses based on how much weight they have to bear, they can all be made through similar processes. If a metal casting process is used to create the individual member grips, the embedded shelf 100 could be added to the mold used in the casting process. This would allow the embedded shelf 100 to be fabricated as part of the gripping member itself, which would be the most secure way to attach the embedded shelf 100 to the gripping member. It is also possible to weld the embedded shelf 100 to an existing gripping member. This is a way to retroactively improve the grip of existing exercise equipment, but would not be as secure of an attachment of the embedded shelf 100 as directly casting an individual gripping member with an embedded shelf 100. The embedded shelf 100 does not have to be the exact same material as the gripping member, the embedded shelf 100 just has to be made of a material that can be securely fastened to exercise equipment. The dimensions of the embedded shelf 100 can vary, so long as the shelf is does not have a length, width or height less than ¼ of an inch or greater than 1 inch. In the case of machine weights where there is extra foam or rubber padding on the gripping members, the embedded shelf 100 would have to be thicker if there is extra padding on those sections. An extra cushion will make it harder to benefit from the better grip the shelf provides, as the cushion may be thick enough that the user will not notice the embedded shelf 100. Therefore, the thickness of the embedded shelf 100 will have to be correspondingly thicker than any non-cushioned section to guarantee that the user will feel the embedded shelf 100 through the extra cushion. 

1. An article of manufacture that gives a user a better grip when gripping weight equipment, comprising: a first discrete gripping member with a first gripping length and a second discrete gripping member with a second gripping length; wherein said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member is made of a sturdy material; wherein a user will grab said first discrete gripping member along said first gripping length with a first hand and said user will grab said second discrete gripping member along said second gripping length with a second hand while performing a weight bearing exercise; wherein said first discrete gripping member has a first weight bearing area on one end of said first discrete gripping member and a second weight bearing area on the opposite end of said first discrete gripping member; wherein said second discrete gripping member has a first weight bearing area on one end of said second discrete gripping member and a second weight bearing area on the opposite end of said second discrete gripping member; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said first discrete gripping member are not part of said first gripping length and said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said first discrete gripping member are used to attach and fasten weight plates; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said second discrete gripping member are not part of said second gripping length and said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said second discrete gripping member are used to attach and fasten weight plates; a first grip enhancing shelf securely embedded within said first gripping length of said first discrete gripping member at a grip enhancing angle; a second grip enhancing shelf securely embedded within said second gripping length of said second discrete gripping member at a grip enhancing angle.
 2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein said sturdy material of said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member is some form of metal; wherein said first discrete gripping member is a first cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said first cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs; wherein said first grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said first cylindrical dumbbell using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said second discrete gripping member is a second cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said second cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs; wherein said second grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said second cylindrical dumbbell using a single mold in a metal casting process.
 3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein said sturdy material of said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member is some form of metal; wherein said first discrete gripping member is a first preexisting cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said first preexisting cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs; wherein said first grip enhancing shelf is securely welded to said first preexisting cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said second discrete gripping member is a second preexisting cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said second preexisting cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs; wherein said second grip enhancing shelf is securely welded to said second preexisting cylindrical dumbbell.
 4. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein said sturdy material of said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member is some form of metal; wherein said first discrete gripping member is a first cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said first cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs and said weight plates are in a hexagonal shape and part of said first cylindrical dumbbell and are not detachable; wherein said first grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said first cylindrical dumbbell using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said second discrete gripping member is a second cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said second cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs and said weight plates are in a hexagonal shape and part of said second cylindrical dumbbell and are not detachable; wherein said second grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said second cylindrical dumbbell using a single mold in a metal casting process.
 5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein said sturdy material of said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member is some form of metal; wherein said first separate gripping member is a first preexisting cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said first preexisting cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs and said weight plates are in a hexagonal shape and part of said first cylindrical dumbbell and are not detachable; wherein said first grip enhancing shelf is securely welded to said first preexisting cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said second separate gripping member is a second preexisting cylindrical dumbbell; wherein said first weight bearing area and said second weight bearing area of said second preexisting cylindrical dumbbell are both capable of attaching up to 200 lbs and said weight plates are in a hexagonal shape and part of said second cylindrical dumbbell and are not detachable; wherein said second grip enhancing shelf is securely welded to said second preexisting cylindrical dumbbell.
 6. An article of manufacture that gives a user a better grip when gripping weight equipment, comprising: a first discrete gripping member with a first gripping length and a second discrete gripping member with a second gripping length; wherein a user will grab said first discrete gripping member along said first gripping length with a first hand and said user will grab said second discrete gripping member along said second gripping length with a second hand while performing a weight bearing exercise; wherein said first discrete gripping member is securely attached to a connecting member and said second discrete gripping member is securely attached to said connecting member; wherein said connecting member is securely attached to a stack of weights; a first grip enhancing shelf securely embedded within said first gripping length of said first discrete gripping member at a grip enhancing angle; a second grip enhancing shelf securely embedded within said second gripping length of said second discrete gripping member at a grip enhancing angle; wherein said user exerts force on said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member to move said stack of weights to perform a weight bearing exercise.
 7. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein said first gripping length of said first discrete gripping member is comprised of a first metal bar and said first grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said first bar using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said first metal bar is connected directly to said connecting member; wherein said second gripping length of said second gripping member is comprised of a second metal bar and said second grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said second metal bar using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said second metal bar is connected directly to said connecting member.
 8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein said first gripping length comprises a first extra layer of padding over said first metal bar and said second gripping length comprises a second extra layer of padding over said second metal bar.
 9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein said connecting member is selected from the group consisting of a rope, a cable or a wire.
 10. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein said first gripping length of said first discrete gripping member is comprised of a first metal bar and said first grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said first bar using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said first metal bar is securely connected to a first metal connecting arm; wherein said first metal connecting arm is securely connected to said connecting member; wherein said second gripping length of said second gripping member is comprised of a second metal bar and said second grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said second metal bar using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said second metal bar is securely connected to a second metal connecting arm; wherein said second metal connecting arm is securely connected to said connecting member.
 11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein said first gripping length comprises a first extra layer of padding over said first metal bar and said second gripping length comprises a second extra layer of padding over said second metal bar.
 12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein said connecting member is selected from the group consisting of a rope, a cable or a wire.
 13. An article of manufacture that gives a user a better grip when gripping weight equipment, comprising: a first discrete gripping member with a first gripping length and a second discrete gripping member with a second gripping length; wherein said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member are securely connected to a support structure; wherein a user will grab said first discrete gripping member along said first gripping length with a first hand and said user will grab said second discrete gripping member along said second gripping length with a second hand while performing a weight bearing exercise; wherein said weight bearing exercise is performed using said user's body weight as resistance; a first grip enhancing shelf securely embedded within said first gripping length of said first gripping member at a first grip enhancing angle; a second grip enhancing shelf securely embedded within said second gripping length of said second gripping member at a second grip enhancing angle.
 14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein said first separate gripping member is a first cylindrical metal bar; wherein said first grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said first cylindrical metal bar using a single mold in a metal casting process; wherein said second separate gripping member is a second cylindrical metal bar; wherein said second grip enhancing shelf is created as part of said second cylindrical metal bar using a single mold in a metal casting process
 15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein said first separate gripping member is a first preexisting cylindrical metal bar; wherein said first grip enhancing shelf is securely welded to said first preexisting cylindrical metal bar; wherein said second separate gripping member is a second preexisting cylindrical metal bar; wherein said second grip enhancing shelf is securely welded to said second preexisting cylindrical metal bar.
 16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said first gripping length comprises a first extra layer of padding over said first metal bar and said second gripping length comprises a second extra layer of padding over said second metal bar.
 17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein said first gripping length comprises a first extra layer of padding over said first metal bar and said second gripping length comprises a second extra layer of padding over said second metal bar.
 18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member are connected to said support structure at a height that allows a user to hang and perform pull ups, or at a height to allow a user to perform triceps dips.
 19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member are connected to said support structure at a height that allows a user to hang and perform pull ups, or at a height to allow a user to perform triceps dips.
 20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein said first discrete gripping member and said second discrete gripping member are connected to said support structure at a height that allows a user to hang and perform pull ups, or at a height to allow a user to perform triceps dips. 